Digital transformation: Alibaba predicted boom in China retail digitisation and healthy foods due to COVID-19
China online commerce giant Alibaba predicted that the retail sector in China would see a boom in digitisation as well as a rise in healthy food options moving forth as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.
Alibaba’s grocery arm Freshippo saw a surge in demand as well as new users during the January to February period this year when the COVID-19 outbreak was at its peak in the country, and believed that the pandemic had actually catalysed the growth of the online grocery sector.
“The COVID-19 outbreak accelerated key trends driving the growth in online grocery sales,” Freshippo CEO and Alibaba Group Vice President Hou Yi told FoodNavigator-Asia.
“We believe there will be a further acceleration in the digital transformation of the retail sector, with the pandemic encouraging more people, especially the older generation, to try and experience online shopping, even for groceries.
